CELEBRATING!

 MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024

        CELEBRATING!

  It's April 29th my friends and

as of today my wife, Leona, and

I have been married 55 years! I

has some thoughts about ways to

celebrate this past weekend and

into today but my wife was a bit

under the weather so we had to

come up with other options. I

had one I thought would be perfect

for her! I checked her into a plush

resort overlooking Wyoming

Valley. She was escorted there

in a sort of "limousine" and

her her own private room 

waiting. Three delicious meals

every had and "servants"  coming

in and out all the time to address

any needs she might have! The

staff is very friendly and 

attentive. The place is called

Geisinger Wyoming Valley.

The only "problem" is the

fact that the reservation is only

for one. That left me at home

to cook my own Spam, do the

dishes (I'll get to them), and

feed the fish. I'm sort of hoping

she checks out soon so we, that

is both of us, can enjoy an

anniversary celebration! Hope

you've got something to

celebrate and that all your NEWS

is good!

READING IN RHYME!

    THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022

         READING IN RHYME!

   This is one of those "unusual holidays" I

truly enjoy! April 28th is "Great Poetry

Reading Day." I like poetry! My Mom was

a very good poet. Her verses were gathered

together by my Dad but never published.

They probably should be. And I have done

some poetry writing on occasion. I thought,

in view of this special "holiday: I'd share

one of mine with you! It;s called Grandpa's

Cheeks.

Well that's my contribution for "Great Poetry Reading Day."

Get yourself some poetry, I surely wish you would. And

until we meet tomorrow, I hope all your NEWS is good!

TIME FOR A RHYME!

    SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024

           TIME FOR A RHYME!

    This is "Poem In Your Pocket Day!"

April is National Poetry Month and each

year one day during the month is picked

as Poem In Your Pocket Day. It's a day

to encourage poetry reading and to share

pomes in person or on line. In honor of

the day I've decided to get serious and

share one of my pomes as part of my

Blog. I've written a number of poems.

Tow have been turned into songs and

I won a poetry contest aboard a train

in Canada a few years back. Today I'd

like to share a poem I call "The Stories

My Picture Tell." Here it is:

   The Stories My Pictures Tell

   I find myself looking at photos

   of times that I call "used-to-bes."

   They carry me back to days now long gone.

   And revive loving memories.

   Some that I see show small children.

   That now stand much tallen that I.

   Some are of family no longer around

   that may well bring a tear to my eye.

   All make a treasure more precious than gold. 

   But don't lock it away in some case!

   They're meant to be shared and meant to be seen

   So those memories cannot be erased.

    Take new ones whenever the chance comes along.

    So that someday when "this time" is old,

    Others may look at the memories you've shared,

    And learn from the stories you've told.   

    My photos will be here long after I'm gone.

    Please look at them once in awhile.  

    Remember the Love that went into each one.

    Then remember me too, with a smile!     

    If that's too calm for you keep in mind I'm

also the guy who wrote:  "Little Birdie in the

cage. How I wonder what your age.......is."

I call that blank verse. Enjoy Poem In Your

Pocket Day and may all your NEWS be good!

TWIST AND SHAKE!

    TWIST AND SHAKE!

FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024

        No! This is not a new dance!

It's April 26th and I had to make

a decision. You see I found two

unusual "holidays" listed for this date.

Rather than skipping one I found a way

to observe both. I'll give each one a

theme song! For the first I've selected

Chubby Checker's "The Ewist!" You

see it's National Pretzel Day amd who

hasen't enjoyed one of those double

twisted hard pretzels at one time or 

another. The first were baked right

here in Pennsylvania by Julius Sturgis!

We'll kick off our second holiday 

observation with Elvis's "All Shook Up."

April 26th is also "Richter Scale Day!"

It marks the birthday, in 1900, of Charles

Richter, the man wgo invented the scale

by which the strength of earthquakes

are measured! Which ever, if either,

you are observing, I hope you're well

and that all your NEWS is good!

 

THEY'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER!

      THURSDAY, APRIL 25,2024

  THEY'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER!

  Yesterday I told you about the first

family to make a cross country car

trip from California to New York  It

was 1908 so there's a good chance

they had a license plate on their

Packard even if they were from

California. New York was the first

State to require license numbers on

cars. As a matter of fact it happened

on this very date in 1901! But while 

the State required license numbers, it 

did not provide the license plates! That

was up to the car owners! Some painted their

numbers on pieces of wood or even

on the side of their vehicle! Imagine

how that system would work in

Pennsylvania today where the State

allows motorists 280 choices for license

plate categories! It's also one of the

States that only requires a license plate

on the back bumper. Easier to spot a

get away car than one heading towards

you I suppose! At least we know license

plates serve a good purpose in Florida.

You can always tell when its Fall in the

Sunshine State!

The license plate colors change there

like the leaves do here! All the plates

from "up north" start showing up there!

Hope your registration is up to date

and that all your NEWS is good!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

ROAD TRIP!!!

     WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024

                ROAD TRIP!       

   April 24th is a big day in automotive

history. On April 24th of 1908 Mr. and

Mrs. Jacob Murdock and their children

set out in Jacob's Packard in an attempt

to become the first family to travel across

the United States by car! Their trip began

in Los Angeles and their destination was

New York City. They made it! The trip

took a total of 32 days, 5 hours and 25

minutes! An amazing accomplishment.

But just imagine poor Jacob hearing

"Are we there yet?," for 32 days, 5 hours,

and 25 minutes!!! Hope your travels are

fun and that all your NEWS is good! 

JUST KEEPS ROLLING ALONG!

   TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2024

BLOGGING ALONG TOGETHER!

       You need a license for
all kinds of things these days.
       I have a Driver's License,
a Fishing License and what you
might call an "Artistic License!"
       On April 22nd., 2011,
in a moment of insanity, I
decided to begin a Blog!
       I had officially
retired from the main stream
media. But I still had a desire
to write and had seen others
fulfill that ambition with a
blog. I wasn't sure if it would
be a weekly or a monthly
effort. But before I could give
it a second thought I was
authoring an essay every day!
     Most have been based on
personal events in my day to
day life. Some are prompted
by web sites where I have
found some very unusual
holidays that few people
know about.
     Occasionally over these
past 6 years I've repeated a
couple of my posts. That's
either because I find they are
well worth revisiting or
because my mind has gone
blank. Of course some would
say many of my original
writings suggest a blank mind
anyway!
      So here we are, 13 years
later with Blog number 4,865!
       I got another License on
April 22nd. But that one came
55 years ago!
     It was my Marriage License!
My wife (then my fiancée), her
mom and I, showed up at the Luzerne
County Courthouse with the
required fee to get our license.
We needed her mom too because,
back then, you had to have a
parent's signature if you were
under 21. That didn't effect me.
I didn't even get carded!
      Fortunately my mother-in-
law to be agreed to sign and we
got our license. 

      Hope neither has expired....and

that all your NEWS is good!

PLAYING SAFE!

   MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2024

         PLAYING SAFE!

  Today begins "National Playground

Safety Week." Kids still love playgrounds

and, fortunately, the newest ones all put

safety on top of their priority list! Most

equipment is produced with soft, but

solid, pieces with no sharp edges to be

found. If a child should happen to fall

they are likely to land on a soft surface

like cork or sawdust. "Back in the day"

our playgrounds were fun but, sometimes,

a bit dangerous. We not only had sharp

edges. They often included rust. And

when we fell, sometimes head first,

we handed hard. My wife says "That

explains  a lot!" Play safe everybody!

Hope you're well and that all your

NEWS is good.

STARTING EARLY!

   SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 2024

      STARTING EARLY!

  This is "Kindergarten Day!" April

21st was selected because it marks

the birthday of Friedrich Frobel, the

man who invented kindergarten in

Germany in 1837. These days mots

every child goes to kindergarten

and many attend preschool even

before that. But when I was growing

up my school district didn't offer

kindergarten until I was in second

of third grade. I'm sure there are

a lot of people, maybe you, who

missed it as well. That means we're

at least a year behind!! But here's

a thought. My daughter teachers 

kindergarten on line! Maybe we

could lobby for a post graduate

kindergarten class to bring us up

to date! What do you think? I'm in

.........if.......there's recess! Hope

you're well and that all your

NEWS is good!

 

POT LUCK!

      SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024

                POT LUCK!

    It's April 20th friends. And for many

in the counter culture world this has been

a "holiday" for years. 4/20 has become

known world wide as "Pot Smokers Day."

It's said to have begun at a high school in

California back in 1971 when a group of

pot smokers met at 4:20pm each day to

partake of their "weed." I remember

being in Hawaii on April 20th of 2015.

We went to a Pot Luck dinner on the

beach and ours was one of the only "pots"

that contained actual food. Most everyone

else was having marijuana for their dinner!

The growth of cannabis based products

has grown tremendously as they have

been accepted as medical applications

helping those with various ailments.

Hard to believe anything allegedly

helpful to someone can smell so darn

bad! Well whether you're a "pot head"

or not I hope you enjoy a beautiful

April day and that all your NEWS is

good.  

    

AH, THE AROMA!

  FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2024

       AH, THE AROMA!

  Today my friends i "National

Garlic Day!" This vegetable, a member

of the onion family, is native to Asia

and has been around for at least 7,000

years. It's been used in cooking for

about that same amount of time,

Those who consume too much will

likely reflect its presence on their

breath for several feet and several

hours. Garlic is also know to have

medicinal qualities. Many people

use it to fight colds. It can lower

blood pressure and cholesterol!

I'm not especially fond of garlic

but I usually keep some around.

You see it's also said to keep

vampires away. That's probably

just an old wives tale but, hey,

why take a chance? Enjoy your

day and your garlic and may all

your NEWS be good! 

IT'S A TOSS UP!

  

 THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024
             IT'S A TOSS UP!

   So,as it turns out, April 18th., is
"International Jugglers Day!"
   It is a day, according to
holidayinsights.com. to celebrate
the skill of juggling, and those talented
people who can juggle many balls and
objects at a time. Common objects
include: balls, clubs, swords, plates,
rings, and flaming sticks.
    I have juggled schedules, and
paychecks over the years. But I
don't believe that qualifies me as
a juggler.
    My son can juggle.
    I've tried. But I can only handle
two softballs at a time and only if'
I don't toss them too high.
      The best jugglers can juggle up
to ten balls at a time!
       You might want to give it a try
in honor of the day. I would suggest,
however, sticking with rubber balls
as opposed to things like fire sticks,
knives, and chainsaws.
        I will watch Facebook for photos
of your success or notices of your
hospitalization.
        Hope all your NEWS is good!
      




   

MY PART OF THAT HERD!

 

    WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17TH., 2024
            MY PART OF THAT HERD!

   April 17th, for those who didn't already
know, is "Ford Mustang Day!"
    It's the date, back in 1964, when the
first Mustangs first showed up in Ford's
showrooms across the country.
    I had a Mustang in 1968. It was a red
two door hardtop.
    It wasn't exactly the car I was looking
for. I was trading in a used Chevy Impala
convertible with a Corvette engine and a
4-speed Hurst shifter. I probably would
have kept it but my wife-to-be was not
fond of the color. It was lavender.
    I wanted another convertible but I
couldn't afford it and the hardtop was
the next best option with windows that
opened the front and back to the fresh
air.
    It was a pretty good car. The only
problem I had was a break in the
driver's seat after awhile but a welder
fixed it good as new.
    I saw a new Mustang today, I heard
it too! It roared by me several times.
(I kept catching up with it at traffic
lights).
     The straight 6 in my 68 didn't make
that much noise. I'm pretty sure it didn't
burn as much gas either! It wasn't near
as fast as the new one although those
traffic lights seemed to even us out!
      There's another factor. My Mustang
cost about one tenth of what the new
ones are selling for!
       I still like Mustangs and I'd love
to have a new one if someone decides
to make it a gift. If someone does, I'm
ready to saddle up!
       Hope it's a convertible and that
all your NEWS is good!

IT ALL ADDS UPS!

   TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2024

           IT ALL ADDS UP!

   Welcome to April 16th. An 

unofficial holiday called "National

Bean Counters Day!" It's the idea

of a professional accountant and it's

been around for just a few years,

 He believed that he and all his

associates, who have worked

days and days to meet the tax

deadline, deserved a day of

celebration. His logical choice

for that day was April 16th, the

day after Tax Deadline Day!  

I'm not much with figures so

I'll honor the profession by

opening a can of beans and

count them all. Hope you

appreciate their work, have 

your taxes filed, and that all

your NEWS is good! 

WHAT DO YOU THINK!

 MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2024

   WHAT DO YOU THINK?    

  It's April 15th friends! This is

"Take A Wild Guess Day!" It's a

day when you are encouraged to

trust your instincts! Go ahead.

Guess how many M&Ms are in

that jar. Predict the outcome of

a sporting event. It was a day

created by a professional

speaker, James Barber who though

we ought to enjoy a diversion on

Tax Filing Day. Of course when

it comes to your tax figures, taking

a wild guess could quickly turn

the day into "Take A Big Chance

Day!" Anyway trust your instincts

today. Or at least give it a try. Hope

it works out well and that all your

NEWS is good!

REACH FOR THE SKY PARTNER!

        SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2024

  REACH FOR THE SKY PARTNER!    

     

   Don't worry. This is not a hold

up. It is a recognition that April

14th is "National Reach As High

As You Can Day!" It is a day

in which we are all encouraged to

let our reach exceed our grasp!

It is a day to pursue your goals.

Perhaps it's something you wanted

to get done as soon as possible.

Or maybe it's a life long goal.

Reach for it today. The victory

is in trying! It's a great idea but

I made one mistake. I told my

wife about it and she handed me

a duster to reach the highest

corners of our walls. Now here

I stand...reaching high above my

head. Hope I get things as clean as

she wants and that all your NEWS

is good! 

A BIRTHDAY DECLARATION!

  SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2024

A BIRTHDAY DECLARATION!

     

     Today we celebrate a birthday! It's

Thomas Jefferson's birthday! He was

born on this day in 1743. Thomas

Jefferson was the third President of the

United States. But he's probably best

know and remembered as one of the

main authors of the Declaration of

Independence!As such he is considered

by many to be a true American Hero!

I wanted to show you a picture of

Thomas Jefferson in honor of his

birthday but it's on a two dollar bill

and my wife dosen't like me carrying

around that much money! Maybe

you can find a photo on line? Hope

you do and that all your NEWS is

good!

OH DEAR ME!

     FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2024

                  OH DEAR ME!

    This is April 12th which just happens

to be "D.E.A.R. Day!" Now it has 

nothing to do with your loved one or

those animals that often dash in front

of your car when you're driving through

wooded areas. I loved this day the

moment I learned about it! You see

the D.E.A.R. stands for "Drop Everything

And Read!" It's a day devoted to promoting

reading. I was just about to sweep the floor

and mop the kitchen when I heard about

this wonderful unofficial holiday. So I

dropped the mop and the broom and

picked up the closest comic book!

Enjoy your reading! Hope all your NEWS

is good!

AN OLD FAMILY "FRIEND."

    THURSDAY, APRL 11, 2024

  AN OLD FAMILY "FRIEND!"

   Today we're saluting an old

family friend that's probably been

at your house at one time or

another. Mr. Potato Head! Invented

by George Lerner was back in 1949.

Mr. Lerner came up with a set of

facial features designed to be inserted

into things like potatoes. But they were

originally also used in things like

carots or onions and the like. He

eventually sold his idea to a company

that was to become Hasbro and, in

1952, that company launched the first

television ad for a kid's toy...Mr. Potato

Head. That also became the first so 

called "Pester Ad", designed to get kids

to perter their parents to buy the toy. At

that point the facial parts were made to

be used on a potato or a Styrofoam base.

That became a problem because those

parts had to be sharp and regulators didn't

like the idea of sharp pieces being used

for kids. So the toy was redesigned with

the plastic base we see still today. Mr

Potato Head, a popular toy my wife

insists was named for me! Hope you're

still enjoying Mr. Potato Head and that

all your NEWS is good!  

MAKING A POINT TO PAY HIS DEBT!

      WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2024

MAKING A POINT TO PAY HIS DEBT!         

    

   Today we salute one of the most

important inventions every created

for mankind! It was on this date in

1859 that Walter Hunt got a patent

for the Safety Pin! Walter owned a

friend $15 and decided the quickest

way to make some money was to invent

something. He quickly can up with the

idea for the safety pin. Then he sold the 

patent for $400, paid his friend the 15

bucks and pocked the rest. Of course he

lost out on all future revenues from the

safety pin. They used every day for pinning

cloth to cloth. name tags, and, in my case

to hold my trousers together when I pop

that center button! You get the point!

Use them carefully, that point can  be very

sharp! Hope you're well and that all your

NEWS is good!

The Day The Sun Went Dim!

 April 9, 2024

THE DAY THE SUN WENT DIM!

  My wife and I escorted 54 excited people to Glen's Falls New York Sunday tru Monday on a Travelworld adventure to see the solar eclipse! Our tour began in Saratoga Springs Sunday where we got a chance to walk around town then get a bite to eat. Later that day we checked into the historic Queensbury Hotel in Glen Falls which was built in 1926 and was renovated recently. Our evening diner included musical entertainment. We were even able to get our bus driver, Rondel, to help our entertainers with I guess what you'd call a clylypso!Monday afternoon saw us in a park along Lake George where we had a fantastic view of the eclipse from the comfort of our lawn chairs and wearing protective glasses provided by Travelworld. We saw 98 percent totality! Afterwards a tour around the beautiful lake area. If you missed it you'll have another chance if you can stick around till 2044! Hope you do and that a

 

DRAW A BIRDIE!

 MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2024

      DRAW A BIRDIE!

       !

      Don't worry! This Blog

 does not involve sketching a golfer    /       

just under par. This unusual "holiday" is 

"Draw a picture of a bird day." It may sound

a bit crazy but consider the story that 

lead to this observation. In April of

1943 7-year-old Dorie Cooper visited

her uncle in a hospital where he was

recovering from a war wound. He was

feeling depressed but responded to

Dorie's request that he draw a picture

of a bird. When she saw his drawing

she said "this isn't very good but I'll

put it on my wall anyway." Her response

drew smiles from her uncle and other

wounded men in the ward. Each time

she returned everyone in the ward had

hand drawn pictures of birds to give to

her. Unfortunately, three years later,

the little girl was struck and killed by a

car. Since then April 8th, her birthday,

became "Draw a picture of a bird day."

So whatever your drawing skills, or

lack thereof, consider taking a moment

and drawing a picture of a bird today in an 

effort to bring a smile to someone's face.

Hope yours is better than mine and that

all your NEWS is good.     

HOW DO YOU MEASURE UP?

   SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2024

HOW DO YOU MEASURE UP?

   It's April 7th which happens to be

"Metric System Day!" The metric

system is, of course, a standardized

digital system of measurements used

almost everywhere in the world.

Everywhere except the United States!

While it may come as surprise to some

of you Congress passed the "Metric

Conversion Act" in 1975. It was

legislation designed to get us, Americans,

to convert to the metric system. But the

legislation was not mandatory. So most

folks here in the U.S. decided a pound

in the hand was worth a kilogram in

Europe somewhere! Some products

include metric measurements on their

labels but U.S. measurements such

as pounds or inches are displayed

as well. There are still efforts being

made to force us to use the metric

system but, in my opinion, they

won't succeed. Not by a country

mile. Or Kilometer if you'd dather.

Hope you measure up and that all

your NEWS is good!

SOME PILLOW TALK!

    SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2024

      SOME PILLOW TALK!

   It's April 6th my friends. The first

Saturday in April and that makes this

"International Pillow Fight Day!" It's

a fairly new "holiday" with it's official

beginning in 2018. It has been

described as a great way to relieve

the stress of life. There are some

rules and some recommendations.

Participants must use soft pillows

and those with feathers are

discouraged by some animal

rights organizations. I wasn't

going to even mention the day

until........my wife belted me

with one. Guess she's playing

this year! Guess I'd better duck!

Hope you're playing fair and

that all your NEWS is good!

HOW TO GET THERE FROM HERE!

        FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2024

HOW TO GET THERE FROM HERE.

  

   Most all of us have a Garmin or

similar electronic direction device

in our car these days.

       And a few of us have  heard
that little voice in our device tell us
to "Turn Right", or some similar
command, when there's no road or
street on our right onto which to turn!
They're not accurate all the time.
       But there is an option. And this
is the perfect day to discuss it. This
is "Read A Roadmap Day!"
       The paper Roadmap was once
our only way to navigate over
highways, back roads, and city
streets. Most of us picked up a fresh
edition every year either from our
local legislator, Triple A, or where
ever. Gas stations had them too. But
you had to buy them there.
        You usually keep them in your
glove compartment. If you can refold
them to get them back in there.
        We still carry a couple roadmaps
in our car. And we've used them from
time to time. Especially when our
GPS and common sense don't seem to
jive!
        And if we're still confused we
just follow the late Yogi Berra's advice.
"When you come to a fork in the road,
take it!"
        Hope you turn right (correctly
that is) and that all your NEWS is
good!

         

         

BREAKING NEWS!!!

   THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2024

         BREAKING NEWS!

     Today's unusual holiday might better

be suited for the 1st rather than the 4th
of April! That, after all, is April Fools
Day.
     But it's official! April 4th is "Hug
A Newsman Day."
     I don't ever remember hearing about
this when I was on the regular news beat.
     It's probably not a very popular
holiday. The days when Walter Cronkite
was the most trusted person in America
are long gone.
     Cries of media bias and "fake news"
are so common you'd think reporters
would want to remain anonymous.
      I probably would have enjoyed
celebrating this day when I was single.
On the other hand I'd have to wonder
how many "huggers" would now be
claiming harassment! Times have
changed!
       Perhaps, these days, a nice pat on
the back and a comment of "good job"
would be best for the newsman, or
woman you admire.
       Of course I'm still accepting
hugs from by biggest fan and most
loyal supporter. My wife!
        Hope all your NEWS is good!

     
   

CALLING OFF?

   WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2024

            CALLING OFF?

     This is "Don't Go To Work...

Unless It's Fun Day!"

      Wouldn't it be nice to wake up

in the morning and decide whether

you will go to work? If it is going to

be fun at work, you get up and go.

Otherwise, you turn over and go back

to sleep.

      Holiday Insights.com which

compiles a list of strange holidays

was unable to find the creator of

this one. It's likely, however, it

was not originated by anyone in

management.

      Since I am technically "retired"

I'm not facing this decision today.

 So it's all up to your working

folks. If you have fun at work go

in. If you don't, stay home.

    One suggestion if you're not

going in. You may not want to

mention this "holiday" as your

reason for calling off. I'd suggest

a cough as you phone in "with a

cold!"

     Hope it works one way or the

other, and that all your NEWS is

good!

PB&J

    TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2024

                   PB&J

    April 2nd is "National Peanut

Butter and Jelly Day!" So common

a combination you'd think they had

been around forever. But that's not

the case. In fact peanut butter didn't

really hit the nation's fancy until

the Chicago World's Fair of 1883.

It was a home economist from New

England, Julia Davis Chandler, who

first published a recipe for peanut

butter and jelly in a Boston Cooking

magazine. And that wasn't until 1901!

You have to wonder what was so

special about that recipe unless, perhaps,

she cautioned followers to put the

peanut butter down first!

Peanut butter and jelly came along

before pre-sliced bread hit the shelves.

That showed up in 1928! These days

you can even get peanut butter jars with

the jelly already inside! And, of course,

there are all kinds of peanut butter.

I was going to tell you the rumor

about "Chunky style" peanut butter

but my wife told me not to "Spread

it around! Enjoy your PB&J and I

hope all your NEWS is good!